A Riddle in Nine Syllables
by likemycoffee
Summary: Set in the first half of series 2. Jack and Ianto's relationship is developing slowly but when Ianto has an accident in the archives their problems are only just beginning. Warnings: MPREG. Janto.
1. Chapter 1

Ianto glanced at the clock hanging on the wall of the archives and sighed. It was almost eleven o'clock on Thursday night and he'd been at work for eighteen hours – again.

For the last three weeks every day had been the same; that is to say sheer hell on Earth. The rift was going crazy and throwing out all kinds of crazy things some of which were harmless and some which definitely were not but every incident had to be dealt with in the same way, with the same proper care and attention. The whole team was working flat out with no time to rest and the cracks were beginning to show.

Gwen complained loudly to anyone who was in the near vicinity about how she hadn't seen Rhys in days and just wanted to go home; Owen was snarking even more than usual. Everyone was trying to keep out of his way and even Toshiko was in a foul mood running as she was on caffeine and pure adrenaline. The only thing that was forcing Ianto to hold it together was the fact that Jack was working even harder than the rest of them.

Jack had hardly stopped for breath in three weeks. As well as the increased rift activity, he'd taken all the mundane jobs – Weevil hunting and such – on himself so that the rest of the team could grab a few hours sleep at night. Ianto felt guilty. It wasn't fair that Jack should shoulder the extra burden alone and so Ianto found himself staying even after Jack had told him to go home, making sure that Jack had coffee and supplies for the night shift, fussing unnecessarily until Jack practically had to push him out of the door and send him home to bed.

Ianto stared at the latest crate of artefacts that he had to catalogue and rubbed his eyes trying to fight the tiredness. He had to get it done tonight. He had to make space in the holding area in case tomorrow proved to be just as busy. He stifled a yawn. One more crate, he told himself. One more crate and then he'd have a coffee break. He picked up the crate; put it carefully onto his trolley and pushed it through the maze of storage units until he arrived at the appropriate section – the one he privately called 'harmless and useless'.

Reaching into the crate Ianto lifted out the first item, a large box – an alien jewellery box according to Jack – he attached the relevant documentation and filed it away for posterity before turning back to the crate and pulling out the next item, a small silver coin. The coin had no markings but it was made of a metal not found on Earth and had been taken to be some kind of alien currency.

Ianto picked up the coin without really looking at it but as he lifted it out of the crate he felt the cold metal slip through his fingers and hit the floor with a loud clunking sound.

'Damn,' Ianto cursed and bent down to pick up the coin but as he did so, the coin began to glow bright blue, casting beams of light around the room. Ianto let out a surprised yelp and jumped back trying to avoid it but it was too late and he was caught in the path of the beam.

Ianto was frozen, unable to move as the blue light washed over him. He felt a warm tingling sensation pass through his entire body, lasting only a few seconds before the silver coin ceased to glow and lay dormant on the floor once again.

Ianto fell to his knees and wrapped his arms around himself breathing heavily. 'Oh God,' he gasped.

How could he have been so stupid? Safety protocols; he was always lecturing the others of the importance of using proper safety protocols; handling artefacts with care – even seemingly harmless ones. Ianto shuddered as he realised that he hadn't even bothered with safety gloves.

'Are you a complete idiot Jones?' Ianto berated himself quietly before he began to check himself for injuries. He checked his arms, legs, chest and head but he felt fine – a little nauseas perhaps, but then he hadn't eaten anything since six o'clock that morning so that probably explained it. He stood up shakily as it dawned on him just how lucky he'd been. If that light had been harmful, he could be dead now.

Suddenly the comm in Ianto's ear beeped causing him to jump as Jack's voice filtered through to him.

'Yan, I'm sending everybody home for the night. It looks like things might be settling down. Don't come in tomorrow unless I call you.'

'Yes Sir,' Ianto replied trying to keep his voice steady and failing.

'Are you ok Ianto?' Jack asked, his voice suddenly filled with concern.

Ianto swallowed hard, composing himself. He knew that he should tell Jack what had happened but he felt so angry at himself for making such a basic mistake and Jack would only panic and make Owen stay to run tests on him for everything under the sun which was hardly fair on Owen. The doctor had been working eighteen hour days just like everyone else; he didn't deserve to lose his downtime because of Ianto's stupid mistake and it wasn't as if he was hurt or anything.

'I'm fine Sir,' Ianto replied. 'Just tired that's all.'

Jack fell silent for a moment before he said softly, 'You could stay here tonight if you want to – if you don't want to drive home.'

'Um...' Ianto replied uncertainly. They'd been taking things slowly, really slowly, since Jack had returned from his time with the Doctor. They'd been going on dates, spending time together just talking and getting to know each other properly – something they'd failed to do the first time round. They hadn't slept together yet; had done nothing more than share kisses on their dates. It felt to Ianto like and old fashioned courtship and if he was honest with himself he was enjoying it. He liked that Jack was interested in him; that he wanted to be with him for something other than sex; that they were building the foundations of a real relationship – something that Ianto had never dared to hope that he could have again.

'Just to sleep Yan,' Jack said sensing Ianto's uncertainty. 'We're not rushing things remember and I'd quite like our first time to be when we aren't both completely dead on our feet.'

Ianto smiled to himself feeling a frisson of excitement at Jack's words. Their first time – even though they'd had sex countless times before, Ianto knew what Jack meant – their first time with feelings other than guilt, anger and loneliness involved; their first time making love.

Of course Ianto agreed to stay and half an hour later the two men were curled up in Jack's bunker together. Ianto was pressed against Jack's side, his head resting on Jack's shoulder, Jack's arms pulling him close.

Both men were dead to the world and so neither of them registered the way that Ianto's right hand slid over his flat stomach, stroking it soothingly – almost protectively in his sleep.

Jack Harkness woke suddenly when he heard a strange noise in his bunker. Years of training at the Time Agency had taught him to always sleep with his ears open, alert to any possible danger. Instinctively he reached out for Ianto but found his side of the bed empty. That was when Jack realised what the noise was. It was Ianto in the bathroom – being sick.

Slipping out of bed, Jack knocked on the bathroom door. 'Yan,' he said gently. 'Are you ok?'

'Fine,' came the reply that indicated Ianto was anything but.

'Can I come in?' Jack asked.

'No Jack I look horrible,' Ianto said sounding thoroughly miserable.

'I don't care about that Yan,' Jack replied feeling worried. Ianto hardly ever got ill.

The sound of him being sick again reached Jack's ears.

'I'm coming in there,' he threatened reaching for the door handle.

'It's ok, I'm alright,' Ianto replied and Jack heard the sound of the toilet flushing and the tap being turned on. A moment later Ianto opened the door and came out of the bathroom.

'You look awful,' Jack declared as he looked Ianto over carefully. He looked pale and there were dark circles under his eyes.

'Thanks,' Ianto said sarcastically. 'What time is it?'

'Just after seven,' Jack told him, 'time for you to get back into bed.'

'No Jack I've got too much to do,' Ianto said moving towards Jack's wardrobe where he still kept a clean suit – just in case.

'You don't,' Jack replied firmly. 'You're sick Ianto. You're taking the day off.'

'But...'

'No arguments. Don't make me order you Agent Jones,' Jack said in his authoritative "Captain voice".

'Yes Sir,' Ianto replied sounding miserable.

Jack softened his tone again. 'I checked the rift predictor last night and it looks like the madness is finally over so you can relax. Let me look after you.'

Ianto smiled slightly as he slid back into bed. 'You always look after me.'

Jack reached out and touched his hand to Ianto's forehead. 'Shall I call Owen?' he asked.

'No,' Ianto shook his head. 'Don't call him in on his day off. I'm ok Jack I've just been over doing it lately that's all.'

Jack nodded trying to allay his worries. He hated it when Ianto got ill. It just served to remind him how fragile he was, how easily he could be taken away. Jack swallowed hard. He wasn't going to do this. He was going to be strong and look after Ianto.

'Do you want anything?' Jack asked. 'I'm just going to check on the rift.'

'No thanks,' Ianto shook his head. 'I'm just going to go back to sleep for a while.'

Jack leaned over and kissed Ianto affectionately on the forehead before making his way up the ladder and into his office.

An hour later and everything was still quiet with the rift. Jack was thankful. He honestly didn't think the team could take many more days like the ones they'd been having. They were at breaking point. It was dawning on Jack just how woefully understaffed Torchwood Three really was these days. Things had been getting worse since Abbaddon. The rift was more volatile than Jack could ever remember it being before. He needed to expand operations, take on more staff so they'd be better prepared to cope when things got tough. He'd ask Ianto to look into it, Jack decided, as soon as he was better.

Jack was still lost in thought when he heard the sound of footsteps climbing up the ladder from his bunker, a moment later Ianto appeared, fully dressed and looking much brighter.

'Hey,' Jack greeted him. 'How are you feeling?'

'Better,' Ianto replied with a smile. 'I told you it was nothing.'

'You look much better,' Jack grinned happily as he pulled Ianto down onto his lap.

'I'm starving though,' Ianto said wrapping his arms around Jacks neck. 'I haven't eaten properly in days.'

'Do you want to go up to the cafe?' Jack asked him. 'I'll buy you breakfast.'

'Ok,' Ianto agreed and kissed Jack briefly before going to get his coat.

They ate breakfast in the small cafe on Mermaid Quay that served the good coffee before they walked back to Ianto's apartment with the intention of spending the rest of the day watching DVDs and unwinding, of course their plans were interrupted when Jack was alerted to a Weevil sighting near Cardiff Castle, meaning that he had to dash off and leave Ianto by himself for a while but he arrived back in time to share the pizza Ianto had ordered for dinner before curling up together on the sofa; Ianto lying against Jack's chest, his hands resting on his stomach.

'I've been thinking,' Jack said softly.

'Always dangerous,' Ianto teased, earning him a soft swat on the arm in retaliation.

'We should hire more staff,' Jack continued when Ianto stopped giggling, 'just a couple more people – to take some of the pressure off.'

'Good idea. Did you have anyone in mind?' Ianto asked, turning to face Jack slightly.

Jack shook his head. 'I was hoping you could draw up a shortlist for me?'

'Of course I can,' Ianto nodded. 'First thing tomorrow I'll get right on it.'

'It'd mean more time off as well,' Jack said enigmatically. 'And I was thinking, maybe if we got someone to start straightaway then maybe we could go away for a few days somewhere.'

'You mean like on holiday?' Ianto said with surprise.

'Yeah,' Jack replied. 'Maybe somewhere a bit – you know – romantic and maybe we could – you know.'

'Jack Harkness are you asking me to go on a dirty weekend with you?'

Jack's eyes sparkled at the tone of Ianto's voice. He could help but grin. 'Maybe,' he answered. 'I mean it doesn't have to be if you don't want it to be because I really don't mind waiting but – God I really want to make love to you Yan.'

Ianto felt a surge of desire pass through him. He wanted Jack too. He really did.

'Of course I want to you idiot,' Ianto told him, giving Jack's hand an affectionate squeeze. 'But you know – we don't have to wait until we go away.'

'I want to do this right Yan,' Jack said softly. 'We've waited this long and with how crazy things have been lately I really don't want to be worrying about the rift alarm going off and interrupting.'

'It's ok,' Ianto replied with a smile. 'I understand Jack. I want it to be special too.'

'Just a couple of weeks,' Jack said. 'Until we hire some more staff and then we'll go away somewhere – anywhere you want.'

'Paris?' Ianto asked. 'I've always wanted to go there.'

Jack grinned and leaned in to kiss Ianto softly. 'Paris it is.'

The next morning Ianto woke in his own bed in his own tiny flat by himself as Jack had gone back to watch the Hub and he felt the sudden urge to vomit. He made it to the bathroom just in time and proceeded to throw up his dinner until there was nothing left to come up. When the dry heaves eventually subsided, Ianto leaned against the toilet bowl and closed his eyes. This was the second morning in a row that he'd been sick. He briefly wondered if he should phone Jack and say he wasn't coming in but he strongly suspected that if it followed yesterday's pattern he'd be fine in a couple of hours. No point worrying Jack. If he didn't feel better then he'd ask Owen to give him a check up.

Nodding decisively, Ianto stood up and brushed his teeth before climbing into the shower.

He arrived at the Hub just after seven and went straight into the kitchen to put the coffee on. Although it would probably be at least half an hour before Toshiko turned up and probably an hour after that before Gwen and Owen made an appearance, Ianto liked to make sure he was prepared and he knew that Jack was useless without his morning cup of coffee.

Ianto was just changing the filters in the coffee machine when he felt a pair of strong arms wrap around his waist.

'Morning,' he smiled.

'Morning gorgeous,' Jack replied nuzzling Ianto's neck lightly. 'Are you making that for me?' he asked indicating the coffee machine.

'Always,' Ianto said with a smile as he reached for the beans to put in the grinder. As the aroma of the coffee beans reached his nostrils Ianto baulked as a wave of nausea hit him.

'Yan what is it?' Jack asked concerned but Ianto pushed him off suddenly and ran from the kitchen towards the bathroom. Jack quickly followed and arrived just in time to hear the sound of Ianto clearly being sick again in the toilet cubicle.

Jack pushed the door open and stood behind Ianto stroking his back soothingly. 'It's ok Yan,' he whispered softly to him as Ianto's heaves began to subside. 'You're going to be ok.'

'Sorry Jack,' Ianto said as he wiped his mouth on some tissue paper. 'I don't know what's wrong with me.'

'You were fine last night,' Jack said, puzzled.

'I felt fine until I woke up this morning and then I was sick again,' Ianto admitted.

'Oh Yan. Why didn't you call me?' Jack asked as he handed Ianto a cup of water.

'Didn't see the point,' Ianto replied as he rinsed his mouth over the sink. 'I'll probably feel better in a couple of hours, I did yesterday.'

'This isn't right,' Jack was worried. 'I'm going to call Owen.'

Ianto opened his mouth to argue that there was no need, that he was feeling better already, but Jack already had his phone out and was dialling Owen's number.

'Owen where are you?' Jack said as soon as the doctor answered his phone.

Ianto couldn't make out the words that Owen used but he could tell from the look on Jack's face that he wasn't exchanging pleasantries.

'Well I need you here now... Ianto's sick... I don't know if it's serious that's what I need you to tell me... Ok see you in a few minutes.'

Jack hung up the phone but not before Ianto heard Owen's voice drifting out of the handset saying something that sounded suspiciously like 'bloody tea boy.'

'He's on his way in,' Jack said softly. 'He said to take you down to the medical bay.'

'I don't need to go to the medical bay Jack. I feel fine now. I've got a lot of work to do.'

'No Yan,' Jack said firmly placing his hands on Ianto's shoulders, 'medical bay, now.'

Owen arrived ten minutes later, true to his word.

'Right then tea boy,' he said gruffly to Ianto who was sitting on the bed in the medical bay. 'What's the matter with you then?'

'Really there's no need for all this fuss,' Ianto complained.

'There is if I say there is,' Owen replied. 'Now spit it out I haven't got all day.'

'I've been vomiting,' Ianto told him, 'a couple of times.'

'Three times,' Jack interrupted.

'Ok three times,' Ianto admitted. 'Since yesterday.'

'Hmm,' Owen murmured reaching for his medical bag, removing his stethoscope and listening to Ianto's chest. 'Any other symptoms, dizziness, headaches anything at all?'

'I did feel a bit light headed just before I threw up.'

'Have you been eating ok, sleeping ok?'

'Have any of us?' Ianto asked sarcastically.

'Fair enough,' Owen conceded. 'Any particular time of day when it comes on?'

'Mornings,' Ianto replied. 'When I first wake up and then earlier on – the smell of coffee made me retch.'

Owen looked at him quizzically. 'Well if you were Gwen or Tosh I'd be asking if you could be pregnant but I think we can definitely rule that one out.'

Ianto smiled.

'It's probably just a virus. Unless there's anything else you can think of that could have caused it – have you come into contact with anything unidentified over the past couple of days?'

Ianto blanched as he remembered the silver coin in the archives.

'Yan?' Jack said quietly. 'What is it?'

'There was something,' he said guiltily, not looking at Jack. 'The other night in the archives – this small silver coin that came through the rift. I was filing it away and I dropped it.'

'What did it do?' Owen asked.

'There was this sort of blue light came out of it that was all. It didn't hurt me.'

'Why didn't you tell me?' Jack said, sounding both hurt and worried at the same time.

'I thought it was nothing,' Ianto told him. 'I didn't want you to worry.'

'You should have told me,' the hurt was obvious in Jack's voice.

'I'm going to run some tests,' Owen announced, standing up and moving away to get his equipment, leaving Jack and Ianto alone.

'I'm sorry,' Ianto was surprised how small his own voice sounded. 'I really thought it was nothing Cariad.'

Jack moved towards Ianto and wrapped his arms around him holding him tightly.

'It'll be ok,' Ianto said trying to sound confident.

'Of course it will,' Jack replied. 'It's probably just a virus like Owen said.'

Three hours later, when Owen finished running all his tests, Jack and Ianto would discover that it was not a virus and then the real problems would begin.


	2. Chapter 2

Ianto was working at his desk in the main hub. He was attempting to draw up a shortlist of potential job candidates for Jack in the hope that focusing on that would take his mind off the tests that Owen was running on him down in the medical bay. But after he finished scanning through the secret government military personnel files and added the name Agent Johnson to his list of potentials, Ianto was forced to admit that it wasn't working.

What if something was seriously wrong with him? He'd been so totally stupid not to tell Jack what had happened in the archives. What if the delay had made the situation worse? What if Owen couldn't fix it?

Ianto glanced up in the direction of Jack's office and caught the immortal man watching him through the window. Ianto could clearly see the worry etched onto his face.

'Are you ok Ianto?' Tosh asked, causing Ianto to jump as he hadn't noticed her approaching him. 'You look worried?'

'I'm fine Tosh,' Ianto replied quickly recovering himself. 'Just busy you know? Jack wants to start interviewing people pretty soon.'

'You should get him to take on some more Admin staff as well you know Ianto,' Tosh said as she cast an eye over the list, noting that all the candidates were of a military and field agent background. 'Your workload must be enormous.'

'It's not too bad,' Ianto protested.

'Ianto I'd be willing to bet that you do more work than anybody else in this place and at least twice as much as some,' Tosh continued, glancing over her shoulder to where Gwen was sitting at her desk, filing her nails. 'It couldn't hurt to have some help.'

'I guess you're right,' Ianto replied. Tosh went back to her own workstation and Ianto turned back to his computer and began calling up the civil service personnel database. He was casting a cursory eye over it when Owen's voice sounded in his ear over the comm.

'Ianto – you'd better come down here. You might want to bring Jack.'

Less than a minute later, Jack and Ianto appeared in the medical bay. Owen was sitting at his desk staring at his computer screen. He looked up as the two men approached.

'Owen,' Jack began looking apprehensive. 'You've got the test results?'

'Yeah,' Owen confirmed and gestured to Jack and Ianto to sit down in the two chairs in front of his desk.

'So?' Ianto asked feeling increasingly nervous as he watched Owen's expression.

'I really don't know how to say this,' Owen began. 'So I suppose I'd better just come out with it. Ianto – you're pregnant.'

Jack and Ianto both sat in shocked silence for a moment before Ianto started to laugh. 'That's really funny Owen,' he said. 'Seriously though...'

'I am being serious.'

Ianto stopped laughing and his face fell. 'What the hell are you talking about?'

'I didn't believe it either,' Owen said. 'But I've run the tests over and over there's no mistake; whatever that thing was that you touched – it's somehow given you the ability to get pregnant.'

'But I can't be,' Ianto said faintly. 'That's – that's...'

'Impossible,' Owen finished for him. 'Except that it's happening.'

Owen turned around and reached for Ianto's file. As he did so, Ianto turned instinctively towards Jack looking to the older man for comfort but stopped himself when he saw that Jack had gone very still next to him.

'Jack,' he said, his voice barely a whisper.

Jack didn't respond.

'Look here,' Owen said as he turned back to face the two men. 'Here's a print out of all the test results. I'd like to run a couple of scans on you but – well – I guess you'll need a bit of time for this to sink in first; before we make any decisions...'

'Who's is it?' Jack said suddenly, his voice low.

'What?' Owen asked.

'Who's baby is it?'

Owen looked between the two men genuinely confused. 'Well – it's yours isn't it?'

'It can't be,' Jack replied in the same scarily calm voice. 'Can it Ianto, seeing as how we haven't had sex since I got back?'

'Jack I haven't done anything I swear,' Ianto protested.

'Haven't you?' Jack glared at him angrily. 'I know basic biology Ianto – it takes two people to make a baby. Even in my time things haven't progressed so far that you only need one. Who have you been fucking behind my back?'

'Nobody Jack, please,' Ianto reached out a hand towards his lover but Jack brushed it away.

'Don't Yan,' he said, hurt and anger both evident in his face. 'Just don't.' Jack stood up and practically ran up the stairs and out of the medical bay oblivious to Ianto's calls for him to wait.

Owen watched the scene play out before him with an uncomfortable feeling as though he shouldn't have been there. It hadn't even occurred to him that the baby might not be Jack's. It was common knowledge that the two of them had been shagging before Jack left and since his return, they'd all assumed that the two of them had picked up right where they'd left off – but they hadn't apparently. Not even once. When Jack stormed out of the medical bay Ianto collapsed back down into his seat, put his head in his hands.

'Ianto?' Owen asked concernedly.

'I haven't done anything wrong Owen,' Ianto sniffed back a sob.

'It's ok Ianto,' he tried to reassure him. 'I'm sure Jack'll understand once he calms down – I mean if you've had some arrangement...'

'We haven't,' Ianto replied forcefully. 'There's only Jack. I haven't cheated on him. I don't understand how this can have happened.'

'Ianto you need to calm down,' Owen said. 'I'm not sure how all this is going to affect your body. You need to keep calm or...'

'How can I be calm?' Ianto cut him off. 'My boyfriend hates me – I've got God knows what growing inside me...'

'It's a baby,' Owen repeated, choosing wisely not to make mention of the fact that Ianto had just referred to Jack as his boyfriend. 'It's definitely a baby Ianto.'

'I want it out of me,' Ianto said sharply. 'Get it out of me Owen.'

Owen shook his head. 'I can't do that Ianto. Not while you're like this. You aren't thinking clearly.'

'It's not supposed to be there!' Ianto yelled. 'You're a doctor. You're supposed to make people better!'

'You aren't ill,' Owen replied calmly but firmly. 'You can't make that kind of decision right now Ianto. You need to calm down.'

He reached out his hand and touched Ianto's arm and the younger man seemed to crumble before his eyes dissolving into gut wrenching sobs.

'It'll be ok,' Owen soothed placing his hand on Ianto's shoulder. 'It'll be ok I promise.'

When Ianto eventually calmed down he felt physically and emotionally exhausted but he needed to go and talk to Jack, he had to try and convince him that he was telling the truth; that he hasn't cheated on him. He wiped his eyes on the tissue that Owen had given him and stood up.

'Where are you going?' Owen asked.

'I need to find Jack,' Ianto replied tiredly.

'Oh no you don't,' Owen stopped him. 'You're worn out and I'm willing to bet your blood pressure has gone through the roof. You need to rest.'

'I need to talk to Jack,' Ianto insisted.

'Later,' Owen insisted, pushing Ianto back down into the chair and handing him two small white tablets and a glass of water. 'They're sleeping tablets,' he explained seeing Ianto's confused look. 'Go down to one of the guest rooms and get some sleep. You can talk to Jack later once you're rested.'

Ianto wanted to protest but the look on Owen's face told him that he wouldn't get very far so he grudgingly accepted the tablets and then made his way down to the guest quarters – a corridor of rooms on the upper level of the Hub that they used for temporarily housing displaced aliens and other victims of the rift, who didn't require secure accommodation in the cells or need the long term care of the facility on Flat Holm.

As he walked through the main Hub he avoided the curious and concerned gazes of Tosh and Gwen but cast a furtive glance up towards Jack's office feeling his heart sink when he saw that it was in darkness.

Ianto entered the first room along the corridor. It was sparsely furnished with a single bed against the wall. It would do. He sat down on the edge of the bed and removed his tie. He contemplated removing his shirt as well. Usually, the thought of sleeping in his clothes filled him with abject horror but then he considered the alternative – removing his shirt and seeing his stomach – his pregnant stomach. The thought that there was something growing inside him like a parasite sickened him. It was wrong. It was unnatural. When Gwen had been pregnant with the Nostrovite baby they'd wanted to cut it out of her immediately. Why was this any different? Feeling disgusted with himself, Ianto left his shirt on and swallowed Owen's tablets before lying his head down on the pillow and closing his eyes, praying that he would wake up and it would all be a horrible nightmare.

Jack practically ran out of the medical bay and up into the main Hub, pausing only to tell Tosh and Gwen that he was going out and not to try and contact him. He pulled on his coat and headed out of the Hub, jumping into the SUV he drove away from the Plass at breakneck speed. He didn't care where he was going. He just needed to get away from it; away from Ianto; away from Ianto's lies.

He'd thought that things were going to be different this time. He'd opened up and shared things with Ianto that he'd never told anyone before; not Estelle, not Lucia, not John – not even the Doctor and Rose... They were supposed to be making a real go of things, dating – being a couple. He'd thought that Ianto was happy.

How could he have been so stupid?

Ianto had been cheating on him. Jack found himself blinking back the tears. He knew that most people would be surprised that it upset him so much. Wasn't he the one who was always talking about how repressed people were in the 21st century, how they should be freer, that it didn't matter who you had sex with? – That was what he said except that it wasn't quite that simple. Relationships were more open in his time but there were still boundaries that had to be respected. When he returned from his time with the Doctor he had established those boundaries with Ianto – they were exclusive; they were supposed to be faithful; there were supposed to be no other lovers.

How long had Ianto been cheating on him? Had it been going on for months, since before he left with the Doctor or was it more recent? Jack didn't know which he would prefer. He didn't suppose it mattered much anyway now. Ianto had fallen pregnant with another man's child. That could never be undone.

He stopped the SUV outside a pub. It wasn't one that Jack was familiar with but he didn't care. He needed a drink. He needed to forget.

He went inside and contemplated the choices available to him before finally settling on whiskey. Good, strong whiskey. He told the barmaid to leave him the bottle.

Jack felt his phone vibrating in his pocket and pulled it out. Half hoping that it was Ianto calling him; half dreading that it was. He felt a wave of disappointment wash over him when he saw that it was Gwen calling him. He contemplated ignoring it but his sense of duty got the better of him.

'What?' he barked down the line.

'Jack what's going on?' Gwen asked.

'What do you mean, Gwen?' Jack answered her. He was really not in the mood for this.

'I know something's going on with Ianto. I'm worried Jack. Owen won't tell me what's going on and...'

'Maybe because it's none of your business?' Jack interrupted. He felt guilty as soon as he'd said it. It wasn't fair to take it out on Gwen. She wasn't the one who'd betrayed him – again. 'I'm sorry Gwen I shouldn't have said that,' Jack apologised.

'We're really snowed under here Jack,' Gwen informed him not acknowledging his apology, or the fact that he'd snapped at her. 'There's a rift alert – it's only small but if Tosh and I both go there'll be no one to mind the Hub.'

'Where's Owen?'

'I don't know. He went out a little while ago and Ianto's sleeping apparently. He told us not to disturb him.'

'Right,' Jack sighed, rubbing his eyes. 'Of course...'

'Shall I try and call Owen again?' Gwen asked.

Jack's cut off his reply when the door of the pub opened again and the familiar figure of Owen Harper entered.

'Don't worry about it Gwen,' Jack told her. 'Looks like Owen's found me. I'll be back soon.'

He terminated the call just as Owen spotted him and approached.

'You are a bloody difficult bloke to track down,' he said by way of greeting.

'I know,' Jack replied with a wry smile. 'What are you doing here Owen?'

'Well I thought somebody'd better come and make sure you weren't about to do something stupid.'

'Like what?'

'Like drink a bottle of whiskey and then drive yourself home?' Owen suggested eyeing the half empty bottle. He paused before continuing. 'He says he hasn't cheated on you Jack.'

'Yeah, well he would wouldn't he?' Jack replied bitterly. 'You said the tests weren't wrong.'

'They aren't wrong,' Owen confirmed. 'He's definitely pregnant.'

'Well there you are then.'

'He still says he didn't do anything wrong.'

'And Ianto has such a good track record when it comes to being truthful.'

'Is that really fair?' Owen was shocked. Jack had never made reference to the Lisa incident since Ianto had returned from his suspension. He'd made it clear to everyone that it was in the past; that Ianto wasn't going to spend the rest of his life having it thrown in his face.

Jack let out another sigh. 'No probably not,' he admitted.

'Jack is there not a chance that you're wrong about this?' Owen asked. 'I just – I mean he only got zapped by that thing on Thursday night. How much time has he had to cheat on you?'

Jack paused, seeming to consider that for the first time. They'd been working none stop for three weeks prior to Ianto's encounter with alien tech and then Ianto had stayed with him at the Hub on Thursday night, they'd spent Friday together – Jack had only left to go back to the Hub when Ianto had been ready to go to sleep...

Realisation downed on Jack that Ianto simply had not had the opportunity to cheat on him with anybody else. He closed his eyes.

'Fuck,' he said under his breath. 'Oh fuck Owen what have I done?'

'You've been a prize twat,' Owen replied. 'And you'd better hope the damage is reparable.'


End file.
